Creatures of dark: Mysteries revealed during night hikes at Ernie Miller Nature Center

Owls, spiders and more await nature lovers who want to try one of the evening or nighttime hikes at Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe.

In August, the Once in a Blue Moon Hike was already full weeks in advance, but more are coming up.

“We tend to try to do a full moon hike a couple of times in the fall,” said Amber Lamble, senior park naturalist at Ernie Miller.

This year, she said, there’s one coming up for those 8 and older.

The New Moon Hike on Nov. 13 is a little different from the Blue Moon Hike, because instead of a full moon, there’s no visible moon.

“That one will be a much darker experience. We won’t have any moonlight to help illuminate our way,” she said. “We’ll just have starlight. Being in November, usually that late, there’s not even ball fields lit up anymore. The seasons are all done, so there’s not a lot of extra light pollution.”

The event offers people a chance to see what the park offers after dark.

“Having a chance to go with a group out into a place you normally wouldn’t go is kind of exciting, yet safe at the same time,” Lamble said.

Aside from being a requirement for post-sunset treks at Ernie Miller, having a staff member along can actually help you notice more about your surroundings.

“When it’s warm out, different amphibians are making sounds,” Lamble said. “A lot of mammals tend to have more of that twilight and evening activity. You won’t necessarily see them, but you can definitely hear them if you know what to listen for. ”

Lamble knows just what to show participants who are in her groups on evening hikes.

“One of my favorite things to do in the fall with our evening hikes is to shine a light on some of the things that lurk in the grass. Fall is a great time to see spiders at night. Their eyes are reflective, especially the wolf spiders, and to have dozens of little tiny green eyes staring back at you in the grass is quite a unique experience.”

Another benefit of the evening hikes is that by that time of day, the traffic noise from nearby roads is reduced significantly.

For those who are a bit younger, Ernie Miller has preschool twilight hikes geared to ages 3 to 6. An upcoming Sept. 29 hike starts at 7 p.m. — a bit earlier than other hikes.

“We start before it gets dark, and we do move at a much slower pace for them. We usually don’t go quite as far,” Lamble said.

Preschoolers, she said, often have a fear of the dark.

“This is really a chance for them to face some of their fears. Some of them are very anxious about it. Others are super excited and want to see what’s lurking out in the woods. By the end of it, everybody’s usually pretty warmed up or at least comfortable enough to finish the hike.”

These activities require pre-registration and have associated fees of about $10 or less for each participant, regardless of age. You can sign up by visiting jcprd.com and searching Ernie Miller and hike.